The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-08-18

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$50
The letter of Paul to the Ephesians,
exhorting them against divers sins,
contains some suggestions and lessons
that ought not to be lost upon the
human family. Churches built up by
great leading spirits, and afterward
left to themselves, are prone to allow
spirit of laxity to creep III which, it
not arrested and driven out in time,
will work lasting if not irreparable in
jury to the church and the cause. A
great many churches are like streams
of water As long as the fountain
head is a booming torrent, rushing
along with a great noise, the stream
will rush, and sing, and lash it's boun-
diaries, and create feeling of awe, II
not admiration, in the minds of the
people who are permitted to view its
wonderful power and enthusiasm.
But cut off the fountain, and how
quickly the proud and noisy stream
becomes string of stagnant pools,
an abode of the lowest type of rep
tilian creation, bed of loathsome dis
ease, menace of death to those who
touch it's shores, rather than a bless
ing, adding health and strength by
its freshness and moisture.
Is there one of US who has not seen
Church prosper under the leadership
of an enthusiastic and noisy leader,
one who created wonderful and pro-
found respect for himself through the
apparent possession Of the Holy Spirit
in marked degree? Is there one of
US who does not remember that when
the ''revivalist' passed away, and some
good old brother, as full of the Holy
Ghost as a politician is of deceit, at
tempted to take up the work where it
had been left off, the hymns sounded
fiat, the prayers sounded hollow and
weak, and even the contribution bas-
ket seemed to be viewed with sort of
listless, don't-care expression? In
fact, Church is a stream, and the
great fountain is ever fowing-the
fountain Of Divine Grace and Divine
Love. This fountain never runs dry,
though the poor weak mortal may so
trench and tile, and dam the premises
Of his soul that the stream is turned,
and runs onto the property of his
neighbor. 1t was to keep this stream
open and flowing, that Paul wrote his
Epistles to the Churches. He gives
some splendid advice in this chapter
some Of the language being rather
figurative than otherwise. For in
stance, wives, submit yourselves unto
your husbands" Now the good sis
ters might reasonably object to lit
eral Interpretation of that passage.
But the Apostle goes on to explain:
"He that loveth his wife, loveth him
self" With such an Interpretation
as that, we should get along nicely,
for If q man extend the same loving
kindness toward his wife that he
would have heaped upon himself, there
is hope of happy home-life, and a
good Christian experience. But, hus-
bands, remember that wifely submis-
sion does not permit the stamping of
the frail body, the beating and black
ing Of the eyes, or the display of any
Of that lordly brutality upon which so
many of the Christians of to-day pride
themselves.
But here, we find in the passage quot
ed as a text, something which may
serve to throw some light upon the sub
iect under consideration. For we are
members, of his body, and Of his flesh,
and Of his bones" So, we are to be
called a part of God the Father or of
Jesus Christ our Lord. This was
what Paul tried to impress upon the
Ephesians, and what has been preach
ed time after time to us of the later
days. The idea is beautiful one, the
thought is freighted with pleasant
suggestions. To be part of the Lord
Jesus, to move as he moves, to enjoy
a pleasant and holy relationship with
him continually, what grander
thought could fill the human breast,
or fill the human heart with a noble
impulse? But let us look at the facts
in a practical, rather than theologi-
sense. Did you ever pause to consider
the condition of things that would OBJ
tain, if literal elimination of that
text should occur? Should the Sa-
vior come along tomorrow and say to
you, brother, Come, thou art a part
of myself have work for your is
there one of you who would not see
ten thousand huge mirrors about you,
rejecting all manner of misshapen
images, covered with sin, and made
horrible by spiritual imperfections?
Is there one Of you who would not
Immediately excuse himself on the
ground Of having immediate and ur-
gent business elsewhere? Like the
man invited to the marriage feast,
you would suddenly remember having
bargained for yoke Of cattle over in
the next Township, and that you must
see them at once. No man is so igno-
rant as to not know himself He may
spout increasingly about being a part